SA irrigators are about to be back on 100 per cent water allocations, as the government announces "improvements in water resource availability" to the state.
Despite relatively dry conditions across the southern Murray-Darling Basin, there has been modest improvements of about 40 gigalitres in the water resource availability to SA since the last irrigation update on November 1.
As a result, SA River Murray irrigation allocations will increase to 100pc.
SA Water Minister David Speirs said the increase was good news.
"But ongoing dry conditions across the Basin could have an impact on future water resource availability and it is recommended that water users start planning for the season ahead," he said.
"In consideration of this, the state government will look at potential amendments to the current private carryover policy, which could help irrigators with future planning."
Department for Environment and Water water delivery manager Jarrod Eaton said the majority of the improvement has come from inflows into Hume and Dartmouth reservoirs and improvements from the Snowy Hydro Scheme.
"The MDB Authority-controlled storages have remained at 41pc capacity, which is well below the end of November average of 79pc," he said.
"Below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures are forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology over the next few months.
"With low levels of water in storage and low inflows likely over the rest of spring and into early summer, water availability remains likely to be limited heading into the 2020-21 water year."
In future months, leading up to the mid-April 2020 minimum water allocation announcement for 2020-21, further water resource updates will be provided on a monthly basis.
This will include information on Murray-Darling Basin storages and inflows, Bureau of Meteorology updates and links to other states' water allocations.
